Across the Stars
by EliKenobi
Summary: Sequel to Binary Sunrise: The comm was blinking urgently. Rey groaned, throwing her head back and going limp with frustration in Ben's arms. A small holographic Rose appeared from the comm. "What's going on, Rose?" asked Rey. "About six hours ago…Someone put a massive bounty on both your heads. We think it might be best if you two…disappear for awhile."
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

* * *

Ben raced through the Resistance base, full of boyish energy. He stopped outside Rey's door and tapped on it with one hand, then the other. His feet moved up and down impatiently, and after a moment of silence he called out to her. "Rey Solo Dameron Tico Organa Skywalker!"

The names were a bit of a running joke. It had all started a week or two ago. The weather had been especially beautiful that day, even for Ajan Kloss, and the planet's slight axis tilt meant that the days were getting a little cooler and night was coming earlier. Rey and her friends had decided to ditch the Resistance dining hall for views of the beginning sunset, and Rey, Poe, Finn, Rose, and Ben had hiked to the top of a bluff overlooking the camp, picnic filched from the kitchen in hand. Someone, Rose perhaps, had asked Ben about his family names, because he did have a lot of them—Solo, Skywalker, Organa, Amidala—and Rey had gotten that far away look in her eyes, and Ben knew she was thinking about being assigned a name that wasn't hers.

"You okay, Rey?" Finn asked.

"I wish I had a surname that wasn't associated with basically all the suffering in the galaxy," she said bitterly.

Maybe it was the way the sun glowed on her loose strands of hair. Maybe it was the way her friends had taken to him as if he were one of their own, but Ben was feeling particularly bold that evening. He raised his brows, looking sideways at Rey. "You can have mine."

Rose, it seemed, had not picked up on Ben's not-so-subtle flirtation, because she piped up, "that's a good idea! Mine too!"

And Poe had chuckled and added, "and mine."

Rey was looking down and blushing, fighting with the biggest smile Ben had seen. The smile was winning.

It was a perfect moment, until Finn had turned to Poe and said, "you know, I don't have a last name either," and Ben had to leap up and catch Finn because Poe had almost pushed him off the cliff.

Even now, the memory made Ben smile. Since then, he'd just stuck another one of his family names onto Rey's every time she claimed she didn't have a family.

And yet, somewhere below the laughter and the relief, an undercurrent of anxiety ran through the Resistance. The Sith, the First Order, the Final Order had all been defeated. Still, Ben didn't like that only four bodies had been recovered of the Knights of Ren.

Rey opened the door to her room, erasing all other thoughts from Ben's mind. Her hair hung down around her shoulders and Ben could see pieces of her half-disassembled staff scattered in a semicircle around where she had been sitting.

"Hey," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey." He lifted her off her feet, spinning her around in a circle and setting her down to take her face in his hands and press his lips firmly against hers.

"Someone's in a good mood this morning," Rey said breathlessly as he broke away from her. Her hazel eyes glowed up at him.

"I've been wanting to do that," Ben admitted, grinning. "Prosthetic came in today."

"Stars' end, I almost didn't notice!" Rey exclaimed. She pulled Ben's left hand from her cheek and turned it over in her fingers. It looked nearly identical to his right. Rey traced the creases in Ben's new palm with a fingertip. "You can feel that?"

"All of it," Ben smiled.

"I'm…I'm glad they did such a good job," Rey said looking away, growing distant. Ben could feel the tinge of guilt on her.

"Hey, you know what this means?" Ben asked.

Rey's eyes shot back to his. "We can go!"

"We can go! I'm ready whenever you are."

"I'm ready. I just have to put my hair up and grab my things."

"You have everything?" Ben pressed.

"Yes."

"Power cell?"

"Yes."

"Emitter matrix?"

"We've been over this, Ben. I know what goes into a lightsaber." Rey pushed his chest playfully and headed back into her chamber.

"Rey?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Yes?"

"Can I do your hair?"

Her brows furrowed. "Since when do you know how to do hair?"

"It's been a while," Ben confessed. "But you don't grow up with Leia without learning some basics."

Rey sat in front of Ben on her bed as his fingers wove through her silky hair. Even after these weeks, he could hardly believe that this was his reality. What had he ever seen in the Dark, when all this time, he could have been here? He tied back the last swoop of hair, then leaned down to swiftly kiss the spot where Rey's neck and shoulders came together.

"What do you think?" he asked.

It was her usual triple-bun hairstyle, though slightly more complex. Ben had picked up hair from around her face and braided it back before sweeping the braids into her first two buns. Less likely to come undone that way, he thought. He had, of course, left the curls that fell in front of her ears loose.

"I love it, Ben." He knew Rey's response was automatic—she'd hardly had a chance to look at her hair, and for some reason that made his heart flutter.

* * *

They raced each other for the Falcon, and Ben had never been so happy to run in his life. Chewie growled at them as they crossed the open space in the middle of the base.

"Yes, of course we'll bring it back!" Rey shot back at the Wookiee. "And it _won't_ be on fire this time!"

Ben heard a muffled "hey!" from somewhere further off. It sounded like Poe.

_Rey takes the pilot's seat!_

Ben rolled his eyes. "Yes, Chewie."

He and Rey boarded the ship. They lifted out of the jungle and jumped to lightspeed.

* * *

Rey brought the Falcon down gently into a clearing in the forests of Lothal. It was the first stop on their several-day expedition. Rey fingered the strap of the bag thrown over her seat. Inside were three lightsabers. Rey itched to be rid of them—particularly the one she had built on Exegol. She had killed with that saber, struck down Resistance members, even injured her friends. Rose thought the scars made her look tough. To others they probably did, Rey thought, but to her they just screamed at her guilt. She was glad, at least, that the scar over Ben's eye had healed. She wasn't sure what she would do if she met remnants of injuries she had caused at every turn. Exactly why she wanted to ditch the lightsaber, she thought. But Ben was right. Without the sabers, the duo was defenseless. Well, more or less. They had blasters, they had the Force, but Rey knew Ben had been lucky to get off Exegol alive after launching his weapon into the sea.

And then there were the Skywalker sabers. Leia's had seen little action, but what it had had been grisly. Rey felt that Ben wanted the blade with which he had pierced her chest as far away as possible. And if Leia had foreseen Ben's death at the end of the saber's path, well, Rey certainly didn't disagree with Ben's thinking. And Luke's—Anakin's, really, Ben had informed her—had been fighting for decades. It was time to lay them to rest, time to start over. But they couldn't go out into the galaxy defenseless.

Rey threw a satchel of lightsaber parts over her shoulder and swung out of her chair. Her hand fell into Ben's as the two silently descended the Falcon's ramp. Rey inhaled deeply. The air of Lothal was fresh and damp. Despite the clear sky, it smelled like distant rain. Rey decided she definitely liked the place. But they were here for a reason, so leaning against Ben's shoulder, she sank into the Force to feel for a crystal. Sensing Ben's radiant presence next to her would never get old, Rey decided.

_Focus_, he teased, nudging her away from him.

So Rey reached, and almost immediately felt a tug. They had set down near a tectonic fault line—an area where kyber crystals occurred more frequently—so Rey wasn't surprised to feel something so soon. What did startle her was the intensity of the pull—it was similar to the way the Force drew her toward Ben when they were apart.

"Feel something?" Ben asked.

Rey nodded. "I didn't expect it to be this strong."

"Most Jedi are Force bonded to their crystals," Ben explained.

So that was why Rey felt like the Force was pulling her in two directions at once. She realized she had stepped forward without thinking about it. Her legs were taking her to the crystal whether she wanted to go or not. Fortunately Ben began to move in the same direction, and Rey regained purpose in her steps.

Rey's ears began to pick up a faint melody. She couldn't quite distinguish the notes at first, but as she walked they strengthened. It was somehow lonely and playful at once, evoking the familiar feeling of an echoing, unanswered call across the desert.

"Do you hear…music?" Rey asked.

"Yeah. It's the crystals." Right. Rey remembered reading about this. Ben hummed several phrases, and though the melody was quite distinct from hers, Rey recognized a few notes. "What's yours sound like?"  
Rey shook her head. "My voice wouldn't do it justice."

They walked together for some time before Ben's course started to veer from Rey's. He squeezed her hand and then headed off, and Rey was alone. Well, she considered, maybe not quite alone. The melody felt alive in her ears and mind and soul, and the way the notes swelled with power told her she was close.

Rey came to a stream, burbling quickly away from the jagged cliffs that rose over the clearing where they had left the Falcon. The water was very clear, running shallowly over colorful pebbles. Rey allowed herself to stop for a moment, tugging off her boots and taking them in one hand as she stepped into the brook. The cool water and smooth stones felt blissful on her feet. She could feel that the crystal was close, further upstream, so she walked against the gentle current, feet splashing in the few inches of water.

Rey's path ended abruptly in a smooth cliff face, spray tumbling over its side. Mosses and ferns had grown up around the water source, and jagged debris piled at the base of the little falls. Here. It was here.

Rey picked her way over the jagged stones, wincing as her foot came down uncomfortably on one's edge. She found a stable enough place to set her knees and knelt under the falls. Droplets of water sprayed over her, but the coolness was surprisingly bearable. Rey dug through the rubble, carefully lifting rocks away. She almost could have been scavenging the Jakku battlefield again, if not for the spray in her hair running in rivulets down her face and neck. She picked several clear crystals out and set them aside—it didn't feel right to toss them into the growing pile of dislocated rocks—but her gut told her none of them were what she was looking for. She wasn't even sure if they were Kyber.

Then Rey's hand grazed warm ridges, and she withdrew a small, neatly faceted crystal. Despite the cool stream water, it was warm in her palm and pulsated with faint white light. The music ended suddenly with a final humming note, and Rey closed her fist around the crystal.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey all! If you're new here, I'd suggest reading my fic Binary Sunrise before continuing with this one (although you could probably get plenty out of Across the Stars without the context of a prequel, I don't know). Anyway, welcome to this high-stakes space roadtrip!

Also, if anyone's curious, I'm imagining the Kyber crystal melodies that Ben and Rey hear as their character themes.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

* * *

Rey was soaked to the bone when she returned to the Falcon, but she didn't seem to mind. Ben had barely beat her back—he had found his crystal a bit closer, farther downstream from Rey's. She showed him her find, brimming with excitement. Her enthusiasm was almost childish, but Ben realized that he, too, was hardly less eager than his first time assembling a saber.

"Do you want to dry off before you get started?" Ben asked anxiously.

Rey shook her head, sending water droplets spiralling out from her hair. "I'm fine. It's warm."

"Alright." Ben sank to a sitting position in the middle of the clearing, crystal and saber pieces in hand. Rey followed his example, crossing her legs and resting her back against his. Ben could feel the wet of her tunic soaking through his shirt, but it hardly mattered to him. He liked being able to feel her.

Ben cleared his mind, focusing on the crystal. He poured himself into it and opened himself to it. He was woven deep within the currents of the Force, the crystal with him. He could sense that Rey was nearby, on a similar plane, brushing up against him but still separate. Time was irrelevant, gone from Ben's mind if he had ever cared for it. Nothing existed but him and the crystal and the Force that bound them. His body began to move eventually, and his awareness felt dim and yet deep at once. He could feel every twitch in the Force bringing the pieces together, the texture of warm stone and cold metal on the pads of his fingers, and still his intentions were so crystal clear he could hardly see them.

* * *

The last piece was in place and Ben was falling back into himself and then falling quite literally out of the air. He managed to get his legs under him in time and righted himself. He hadn't realized that they had lifted several feet off the ground. Rey was still sitting cross-legged in the air, rotating slightly as she delicately connected pieces of her saber. Her face was slack and peaceful except for her brows, furrowed in concentration.

Ben moved back several paces. He figured it would take a lot to startle her out of her trance, but he didn't want to find out what would happen if he did. The saber hilt felt familiar in his hand, and he turned it over, running his fingers over the metal and inspecting it. The hilt gleamed with color in the light of the rising sun. It had been midday when they had begun their meditation. They must have been here all night. Or maybe more than one. Ben wasn't sure. He flipped the switch and watched his lightsaber spark to life.

The blade was clean and smooth, and after the spitting fury of his last saber this new creation was almost overwhelmingly beautiful. Ben clenched his free hand into a tight fist, knuckles whitening and nails digging into his palm. The urge to touch the blade was fighting with Ben's common sense. It was a wonderful rich dark blue. It was what he had expected, after all. His first blade had been blue. But he thought maybe the shade was different, tinged with purple, perhaps. A hint of the Dark side. It didn't really bother Ben.

He sensed that Rey was almost done and deactivated his saber, returning to her side. She levitated a final piece into place and her hands found the hilt. Her eyes flew open, and Ben scooped her out of the air before she hit the ground. She slumped into his arms, and Ben could feel her exhaustion.

"Thanks," Rey muttered as Ben set her on her feet. She looked down to the hilt in her hands and the wonder in her eyes was familiar. He saw it sometimes when she looked at him. Ben felt his heart swell. The indescribable feeling had become common, a mixture of pride and love like he couldn't quite believe she was his. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on her hair.

Rey leaned back against Ben's chest in silent acknowledgement and, holding it away from her, rotated the switch on her lightsaber.

The warm gold blade illuminated her features. Ben couldn't help but let out a small but audible "oh."

"What is it?" Rey asked, twisting her neck so she could see him.

"I've just never seen one in person before. A yellow blade," said Ben. "In the Old Republic, it would've assigned you to guard the Jedi Temple."

"Is that good?"

"I think so. Jedi with yellow sabers were known to fight with compassion in particular."

A small smile flickered over Rey's lips. "Let's see yours," she said.

Ben turned on the blade and handed her the grip. "I think we could both use some rest," he said.

"Right." Rey took a moment to admire the saber before handing it back and following Ben to the Falcon.

* * *

Ben sat cross-legged as Rey danced between trees, saber in hand. She seemed scarcely aware of him. He thought he could watch her lithe body lunge and flip in the gold glow of her new lightsaber forever. Picking up a thin stick, he absently smoothed the dirt in front of him with a hand and started tracing her figure in the soil. No, that was no good. He brushed over his drawing and tried again. There, several strokes had captured the motion of her lunge. He waited patiently for her to make the move again, watching the muscles bunch in her legs as her body fell back into the position he was looking for. He added a few more details and shifted a bit, tracing the profile of her face on a blank area. Three loops for her buns, tendrils of messy hair fanning out and framing her face. The curve of her brow. Her eyelashes, curling forward—there, now it looked like she was looking at something. He had forgotten to look up, head drooping closer to his dirt canvas. He didn't need to look to see her face, anyway. A pair of gray boot toes appeared in his frame. He jumped, slashing a hand across his drawings.

"They were good," said Rey, as Ben looked up at her, still startled.

"I—uh—thanks," he stammered.

"I haven't seen you try out your new lightsaber."

Ben was still off guard and flustered. "I was…"

"Watching me? Yeah, I know." There was a mischievous twinkle in Rey's eyes. "It's hardly fair, you just sitting there while I show off. Come on, let's spar."

Ben's face was burning, but it didn't seem like he had a choice. He got to his feet and ignited his blue saber as Rey backed off a few paces and lit up her own. They circled each other, and Ben flipped his lightsaber with a lazy flick of his wrist, warming up his joints. He swung a slow, predictable blow and Rey deflected it easily, then jabbed at his legs. He leapt out of the way. Rey was waiting where he landed. Their blades clashed through the forest, with no real desire to meet their targets.

Rey moved toward him, and Ben took up a defensive stance, both hands holding his saber close enough to his body. Rey's swing was wide and Ben's blade followed her feign as she dodged the way she had come, deactivating her lightsaber. She ducked and popped up inside the circle of Ben's arms as he was regaining his footing, her warm body pressed against his. She grasped the hilt of his blade. In his surprise, he let her have it. Then somehow Ben was on the forest floor and Rey was straddling his chest, her saber crossed with his own over his throat.

"I yield." He could feel her breath on his face.

"Good fight," she said, deactivating both blades and clipping Ben's back on his belt for him.

"You were already warmed up," he grumbled.

"Someone's a sore loser," Rey responded, planting a quick kiss on his forehead.

"That's it." Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and flipped himself over, pinning her under him. She struggled half-heartedly.

"You can't make up for _lack of skill_ with sheer size, Ben," she teased.

"Watch me," he growled, pressing her shoulder to the ground as she squirmed. He liked this side of her he was just getting to know, confident and teasing. Somehow, it was her insults that betrayed her feelings.

Rey gave up her struggle and placed her arms around her neck, pulling his head toward her. Oh yes, this was what Ben had wanted to do since he started doodling her in the dirt.

"Some days, I can't believe that you're real," he whispered, his voice husky.

"Well you'd better believe it," Rey shot back, "otherwise thin air just kicked your ass."

Ben stopped and made a face at her. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me already." Ben didn't need to be told twice. His lips found hers instantly. Rey's arms snaked around him, pulling him down to her.

Ben pulled away to kiss the place where her jaw met her neck. Her skin was salty from sweat worked up while they sparred.

"Mmm." Rey stretched her neck, exposing more of her tender throat to him. When Ben reached her collarbone, he pulled back, hovering over her.

"Ben? You alright?"

"Yeah," he said, smirking slightly at her. "I just think we should take this back to the Falcon."

"Right."

He stood up quickly, scooping her off the ground before she had a chance to get to her feet and planting a light kiss on her cheek as he carried her up the ramp.

Onboard the ship, the comm was blinking urgently.

"Auugh," Rey groaned, throwing her head back and going limp with frustration in Ben's arms. He struggled to keep her flexible body from slipping.

"We don't have to answer it."

"No," Rey sighed, swinging her legs out of Ben's grasp and jumping to the floor, "it's probably—it's definitely the Resistance. And when they need me they need me."

Ben bit back an _I_ _need you_ and followed her to the comm. Rey tapped it and a small holographic Rose appeared.

"Rey! Oh, thank goodness, I've been trying to reach you for a while now. Wait—are you okay? Your hair's a mess and you're covered in leaves."

"We just got in from sparring." Rey reached up to pluck some leaves from her hair and unbent her collar, flipping it over the side of her neck.

Poe elbowed his way into the projection. "Oh," he said, eyeing Ben, who had also collected his fair share of leaves, "is that what they're calling it these days?"

"Shut up, Poe." Rey frowned. "What's going on, Rose?"

"Right. About six hours ago…Someone put a massive bounty on both your heads."

"What?!" Ben roared. He could understand a bounty on himself. Frizz, he probably deserved it. But Rey?

"Hold up, I'm sending you the info," Rose said.

The holo projection flattened into a screen, displaying crude drawings of Ben and Rey. The images were labeled with "Wanted: Kylo Ren and his Dark consort, Sith Empress Palpatine. 18,000,000 credits."

The screen returned to Rose. "It's rare for bounties to go public, but this was released anonymously early this morning. Since, several systems have put out requests, and they've upped the reward pretty consistently. I'll send you a list."

"Why the dosh do they want Rey?" Ben exploded. "That was barely more than a kriffing week! She didn't have a crinking choice!"

Rey was pale, but she put her hand on Ben's arm. He exhaled and deflated a bit, bringing a hand to his forehead.

"Han's had bounties on him before. How did he get out of it?"

"He didn't. He got kriffing frozen. Mom always used to hold it over him—'I should've left you on Jabba's wall!'"

"This is a lot bigger," said Rose. "We think it might be best if you two…disappear for awhile."

Rey nodded, looking down at her feet. Neither of them had prepared for a trip of more than a few days. Ben moved a step behind her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. When Rey looked up, her eyes were determined. "The Resistance can't know where we are. It will just put you all in unnecessary danger. Send me the info and I'll write it down, then wipe the comms' memory. This conversation never happened."

"You can do that?" Ben asked, mildly impressed.

"Ben," Rey said flatly, none of her earlier playfulness in her voice, "I've taken apart and put back together every machine you've ever seen and more."

"I'm comming you again tomorrow," Rose stated.

Rey nodded.

"Rey?" Finn's face had appeared next to Rose's. "May the Force be with you."

"And with all of you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Because people were asking about the bounty amount from the teaser, I just anted to clarify that it's actually quite high (at least that's my intention). 18 million credits is nearly double the Imperial bounty on Leia's head during ESB and several orders of magnitude larger than those on Han and Luke. No, I haven't accounted for inflation if that's a thing in this universe.

Anyway, I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! As always, please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

* * *

Ben sat in the Falcon's cockpit, watching the ambient patterns of hyperspace swirl past the windows. Rey had silently typed in calculations, plotting their course, then vanished as soon as the ship had made it to lightspeed. This whole damned thing was no fair to her. How had it even gotten out that Rey had turned? Almost no one had even seen her…had a Resistance member leaked it? She'd barely been a Sith for a week. Ben had no doubt that he deserved whatever was coming his way. He supposed that it had been foolish of him to believe that the last few blissful weeks could last. He'd probably gotten more out of them than he deserved anyway. But Rey, Rey deserved none of this. It had been awhile since she had left now. An hour, two? Ben didn't feel good about leaving the cockpit unattended. But then, he guessed he felt worse about leaving _Rey_ unattended, at least right now.

Ben made his way back into the communal area of the ship. Rey was lying across the seats, wide, unblinking eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, long dried tear tracks tracing her cheeks. Ben sat down near her head, careful not to disturb her too much. Her hair had half escaped from the braids Ben had woven it into now days before. Gently, Ben undid one bun, then the next, and began to comb the tangles out of Rey's hair with his fingers. It fanned out from her head in a halo. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, leaning into his hand.

"We'll get through this," Ben murmured.

"Mm." He had seen Rey cry, he had seen her spitting mad, but he had never seen her so dejected. Her mind felt weary and lonely. A realization struck Ben suddenly.

"Rey, when was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know," she said, brushing him off. They had shared a small meal when they emerged from the trance, but that had been many hours ago.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm fine."

Ben stood up and rummaged through the cabinets. Their provisions were running low. He hoped there would be something on Kef Bir. Ben found one of the sweet green fruits that grew near the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss and returned to the table, slicing the fruit with a knife from his belt.

"I'm not hungry," Rey protested sullenly.

Ben held a spear of the fruit above her face. She glared up at him, then snatched it and sat up to nibble it, propping her cheek on a fist.

"You've faced so much more than this," Ben said, handing Rey a second piece of fruit and taking one for himself.

"It's not the same! I always had Finn, and Poe, and Chewie, and Rose, and, and, BB-8, and Leia, or Luke, or…Han…" Her tears were falling again, and Ben swallowed back his own grief and guilt and pulled her into his arms. She crumpled into his chest as he rested his cheek against her head. After everything, it wasn't fair to separate Rey from her family. Not again. She'd been through that too many times.

The hum of the Falcon's engines quieted as they slowed from hyperspace.

"Hey," said Ben, extracting Rey from his shirt, "why don't you go freshen up? I'll put the ship down and see if I can find some food."

Rey nodded, and Ben pulled her face gently back toward him to kiss her forehead, then rose.

* * *

They had landed on Kef Bir, traded for food with ex-stormtroopers and promised to be gone by the next day, lest they be accused of harboring criminals. Now Ben lay in the Falcon's main berth, curled around Rey. They had their own cabins, though they often disregarded the separation, but tonight Ben had sensed that Rey didn't want to be alone. So now he was here, skin of his chest pressed up against her back, his knees hooked into hers, one arm wrapped around her, the other nestled between her shoulder and her cheek. Even in sleep, she hugged it to her chest.

Ben couldn't shake the feeling that Rey didn't belong here. She deserved so much better than a life on the run. With him. When, for the first time in her life, she had finally found a family. Ben had had a family. He had known what it was like to be loved, and he had thrown that away for himself. Rey had never had that choice. She'd been thrown away and then thrown into all of this. With him. For him. _Kylo Ren and his Dark consort._ As if the Empress was nothing to the galaxy without the context of Kylo Ren. Maybe she was. Maybe if they had him, they would forget all about her. Then, for once, Rey could go home to a family without a war to fight. Oh, how he wished they had had more time.

Rey was tangled in his arms and nothing he had ever known had been better than this. Every instinct screamed to stay here and soak up her sunshine. But how long could she spend out here with him before her light began to cloud over? Her warm skin was torturous against his. It felt like goodness and home and belonging. It felt like everything he knew he didn't deserve.

One way or another, vengeance would catch up with Ben eventually. And if he was was with Rey, it would catch up with her too—Ben couldn't do that to her. Unless he caught up with vengeance himself.

Ben pulled Rey tight against him and kissed the back of her neck. He reclaimed his limbs and slipped out of bed, pulling on a shirt. Rey muttered and rolled over.

"It's okay," Ben whispered.

He looked around for something to leave a message with. He couldn't let her think she'd been abandoned again. He wandered the ship in the darkness, letting memory guide him. His fingers found the drawer where his father had kept paper and pens. Han had always had messily scrawled notes lying around. Always said reminders did nothing if he didn't have a physical copy on him. Ben found a brittle leaf of paper, but nothing to write with. He bit back his frustration. Were there no pens on this blasted ship? Finally he remembered the brush pen he'd been writing with before they left Ajan Kloss and dug it out of his pocket. He'd been trying to get back into calligraphy, and though his skills were rusty, practicing had felt good. Well, so much for that now. At least maybe he could leave Rey something nice. He switched on a lamp, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light. His handwriting was stiff at first, but soon the aurebesh letters flowed from the strokes of his pen. Ben blinked and stared up at the ceiling above. He wouldn't let his tears fall and smudge the ink.

When he was finished writing, he folded the letter in half and slipped it onto the little table next to the bed Rey still occupied. Ben took in her calm, sleeping face one last time and then turned to walk out of the Falcon. He wouldn't let himself look back. He knew, oh so well, that she could force him to undo every decision he'd ever made. This time, he wouldn't give her the chance. The broken Death Star wasn't too far away. He had salvaged a TIE from the wreckage before, he could do it again. The tide was out and the sea had retreated into its basin, leaving only a flat stretch of beach between Ben and the old space station.

* * *

**Author's Note:** First of all, I'm sorry this is late. My school just unexpectedly shut down for next term in the midst of finals week, so right now I'm in the middle of moving out and trying to figure out what I'm doing until my school reopens. I won't leave y'all with this cliffhanger for too long, but expect slow and sporadic updates from the next few weeks. I'll get back into regular posting as soon as I have time to rebuild my chapter buffer.

Anyway, stay tuned for Ben creating drama!


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

* * *

Rey woke with a start. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. There was an emptiness around her that she hadn't felt in a while. Her hand found the warm dent in the mattress beside her, and cold realization hit her as she turned on the light. A flurry of nauseous worry was building in the pit of her stomach. There, a letter, propped up on the table next to her. Rey wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She had an awful sinking feeling that she knew exactly what the letter was going to say. Kriff, why hadn't she thought of that before? She'd been too absorbed in her own turmoil to think about Ben. _Don't get ahead of yourself. _With shaking hands, she unfolded the sheet of paper, recognizing Ben's neat, flowing letters immediately.

_Do you ever feel like you wish you had met someone sooner? Like all those little bits of your life would have been so much brighter with them in it. Like you've been cheated to have existed for so long apart from them. Rey, I wish we'd had more time. You don't deserve this. You don't deserve any of this. I suppose that's the greatest difference between us: I do. I know that you can, you will, find a way to get on without me. The weeks I've spent with you have been the brightest of my life. Thank you for that, and everything. I suppose it was foolish of me to hope that this would last, but it seems that the galaxy demands otherwise. It's time for me to pay for my crimes. I hope that then, this will all blow over and you can go home. You shouldn't have to be away from your family for me. _

_I love you more than life itself, Rey. I will always be with you_.

He hadn't signed it. He hadn't needed to. Hot tears were running over Rey's cheeks, burning as they fell heavily onto the sheet below. He couldn't have—he wouldn't—and now she was alone as ever. She reached for him through the Force. Faintly, she could feel the signature of his mind far in the distance, fading fast. She felt so small, and in her mind's eye she could see another ship, speeding away from her, no one turning back at her cries. Why? Why did everyone think the best way to keep her safe was to abandon her? To take everything she'd ever had away from her and act as if _they_ were making the sacrifice.

Ripping herself out of her thoughts, Rey raced to the cockpit, launching the Falcon into the air. Hoping beyond hope that her feelings were sufficient, she locked the ship onto a course for where she had last sensed Ben.

Damn him, damn him! Where had he even gotten a ship? It had better not be faster than the Falcon. Not much was faster than the Falcon.

What would she do if he managed to turn himself in? Oh, she would fight them all for him if she wasn't too late. And if she was…she might as well just turn herself in too. She couldn't go back to the Resistance. Had he forgotten that she was wanted too? How dare he act like he was making some noble sacrifice, when all he was doing was leaving her alone. Alone. For who knows how long. All she had ever been, really. Until now. And here he was, acting like he could just take that from her like it was nothing.

But he was nearby. She could sense him. Rey didn't dare pull the Falcon out of hyperspace so she could look for his ship. She reached out in the Force instead, letting it guide her as she corrected her course until the Falcon moved parallel to Ben's signature. Rey opened her eyes and switched to using the Falcon's scanners. An Imperial-era TIE, sailing just off her starboard side. She should have guessed.

Frantically, Rey hailed the ship on her comm. After a minute, the signal stopped. He must have jammed it.

"Damn it, Ben!" Rey shouted aloud, pulling her face through her hands. Maybe if she could get in front of him she could get him to turn around. But with the speed they were traveling at? She would need a lot more room than she could get. She remembered facing down a similar TIE in the deserts of Pasaana not so long ago. She would gladly take on the ship with just a lightsaber now. But that was out of the question. _Think, Rey._ She had disassembled this TIE model for parts before. It was one of the ones she was most familiar with. If she could disconnect the right wire, one of the engines would go out, leaving Ben stranded to spin in circles. Could she even reach that far and remain substantial within the Force? What if she hit the wrong part and blew up the ship? It wasn't worth it. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked up as her senses tingled.

Ben sat next to her in the copilot's seat, eyes fixed on an indeterminate point in front of him. Rey spun in her chair, leaping to her feet.

"Kriffing Hell, Ben!" she screamed. "What the kriff are you thinking?"

He didn't move, eyes still away from her, shoulders trembling. She could see the dried tear tracks on his face and his mouth was slightly open as he panted.

"Talk to me!" Rey pleaded, tears breaking from her eyes once again. "You don't know what you're doing, Ben! I wish this damned ship had a tractor beam!"

He finally turned to her. "It's the only way."

"For what? For what! You wrote how much you loved me and then left me in the dirt, just like everyone else!"

"Rey, no! You'll be safe! It's for your own good."

"And did you ever think to ask what _I_ wanted? Whether I _want_ to be protected? You think they're just going to stop looking for me because you turn yourself in? I'll just be wanted _and _alone!" Rey realized she was shaking, and clenched her fists, trying to still her body.

"No!"

"The Force brought us together for a reason," Rey shouted. "Not so that you could just…just…"

"Rey…"

_You're a coward, Ben,_ she thought at him angrily. _Taking the simple way out. Leaving me to deal with your mess._

He looked up at her with liquid brown eyes. "But you deserve to be with your family."

"You _are_ my kriffing family!" she screamed, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.

He turned away from her, head shaking slightly. Breathing hard, Rey forced her hands to unclench by her sides. Maybe she could steal his hand—the prosthetic one. Would he come back for it? No. Could he fly without it? Probably. This was ridiculous. She let her head fall into her hands. Then, moving behind Ben's seat, she rested her cheek against his hair instead. He sighed and shrugged her away. "I'm sorry for making you feel like I'm abandoning you, Rey."

"You are abandoning me," she said flatly.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"Then _come back!_"

Ben didn't respond, just kept his gaze fixed forward.

"Is this really what you want the last time I see you to be?"

His gaze dropped and then came up to meet Rey's. "No."

She didn't respond, just placed a palm on top of his. He tried to pull his hand back but she followed him. She wouldn't let him get away this time. She took a deep breath, and trusting her senses, guided Ben's hand to a lever she couldn't see. She reached for a similar switch on the Falcon and closing her eyes, pulled them both, dropping the ships out of hyperspace.

* * *

Rey was drifting slowly and the seat next to her was as empty as the space around the ship, but then the TIE fighter streaked to a stop next to her, still parallel to the Falcon.

_Come on. _Rey fired up her engines, and after a minute the TIE followed. She glided down onto the surface of a nearby rocky moon. Her scanners said it had a poor atmosphere, but she didn't particularly care. Closeness was all that mattered. Rey lowered the Falcon's ramp, then stood at the top of it, unsure what to do as she watched the TIE descend. Ben clambered out of it and paced toward the larger ship. He stopped at the base of the ramp and looked up at Rey. Then he was running to her. He dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Ben…"

The name, it seemed, was all he needed. He threw his arms around her waist, pressing his cheek against her stomach. Rey's breathing turned to ragged sobs and she dropped fully into Ben's arms. "I thought you said you weren't going anywhere."

"I'm sorry, Rey, I'm so, so sorry." His damp face was buried in her neck.

"You scared me," she said. "I was so scared."

"I was scared too."

"That was so stupid!" Rey scolded.

"I know, I know," Ben crooned.

Rey clung to him as if her life depended on it. "Please, don't leave me."

"I've got you," he murmured into her skin. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise me." It was more of a demand than a request.

He pulled back to meet her eyes. "Yes. Anything. I won't leave you again."

Rey nodded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"I didn't even consider that it would hurt you if I left. I just wanted you to be able to go home."

"How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your dense head, you're not alone in this anymore."

"Frizz, Rey. I don't deserve this. You."

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't breathe."

He stood back and helped her to her feet. She could see from his unsteadiness that the low oxygen was getting to him too. "Then let's get out of here," he said.

Rey raised the ramp and stabilized herself as the ship filled with breathable air again. She found Ben already seated in the copilot's chair. "Where to?" he asked.

"You're really not going to leave me again?"

"Of course, Love. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. I'll never willingly put you through that again."

Rey had meant to sit in the pilot's seat, she really had, but somehow she found herself in the copilot's, straddling Ben. Their kiss was salty with tears, and he pushed her back to wipe her cheeks before swiping at his own. And then she had pulled him toward her again, kissing him with a desperation born of relief. Their tongues were tangling and Rey was intent on merging them into one being. But eventually Ben pushed her back, though an arm around her waist still held her close.

"Rey, I could kiss you forever," he said, "but you're exhausted and so am I."

Slumping into his arms, she realized he was right. She had hardly slept and he had slept less. She scrambled off him and settled wearily into her seat. "We should get off this rock."

"We're still close to the Endor system," said Ben. "It's probably our best bet for now. Ewoks aren't big on communicating with other systems and Kef Bir would be near enough for supply runs." In that moment Rey didn't care where they went. So long as it was close and Ben was there.

* * *

They lowered the ship into a meadow on Endor's forest moon and Rey rose, quickly pulling Ben to his feet after her. They padded together to the main berth, and Rey realized she had never even changed out of the clothes she had been sleeping in.

The two settled in and Rey wove her fingers between Ben's. He wasn't going to get away from her this time. She stretched out her legs, toes just barely finding the end of the bed and the wall. He was blocked in; he'd have to climb over her body to get out.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ben murmured. "I'll be right here with you." His breath was warm in her ear. Rey rolled over to kiss him one more time.

Soon Rey could feel Ben's breathing even out and she knew he was asleep. Still, her wakefulness persisted. Her mind believed Ben's promises. Her heart did not. And yet, finally, in Ben's warm embrace she gave in to the pull of sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to get it out there that I wrote Ben's letter long before the TROS novelization leaks came out. Not that it matters.

Anyway, please let me know what you think! I love reading your reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

* * *

Rey woke to an empty bed in a sleep-dazed panic. The note from the night before was still at the bedside, now sporting a ragged ripped edge. Rey flipped it over quickly. Most of the original letter had been torn away, leaving only:

_I love you more than life itself, Rey. I will always be with you_.

Several spaces below, Rey read a new addition.

_I'm in the galley, making breakfast. Or trying to. _

Rey closed her eyes and let out a breath, allowing the hammering of her heart to slow. She wrapped herself in her old brown poncho and made her way to the galley. Ben turned away from what he was doing as she entered.

"I have never seen your hair go in so many directions at once," he said.

Rey snorted. "Good morning to you, too. And yes, I know I'm a mess." She carded her fingers through her tangle of hair.

"It's okay," Ben said as Rey stepped up to see what he was doing. "I'm a mess too."

Ben seemed to be frying some sort of cake in a shallow pan. There were a few finished ones set aside on a plate and a pile of blackened discards further off.

"I didn't know you could cook," said Rey.

"Don't make any assumptions until you try them. It's been a long time."

Rey helped herself to one of the cooling golden brown cakes. It was fluffy and still warm, lightly sweet and crispy around the edges. "Stars, Ben, this is so good!"

Ben turned from the burner to grin at her. "My dad taught me when I was a kid. I hoped I still remembered how to do it." He turned off the heat and joined Rey with a plate of food.

"I was scared you'd run off again when I woke up alone," Rey admitted.

"I'm sorry."

"No…" Rey said. She felt needy, panicking when Ben was on the other side of the ship. "It's alright. I just…"

"Need some time to think?"

Rey nodded. She wanted to be alone. So much had happened, she had hardly had time to process the fact that she and Ben were on the run indefinitely. Alone together, and away from her friends in the Resistance. But as much as she wanted to be by herself, she didn't want to leave Ben. _Trust him_, she fiercely ordered herself.

"It's okay, Rey." Ben leaned across the table, taking her hands. "I'm not going to go anywhere. I'll be waiting right here for you. Go."

Rey felt the linear truthfulness in his earnest gaze. Or at least, she thought she did. Those damn sad eyes had always begged her to trust them. _He'll be here. _

When she had finished eating, Rey pulled on a set of clothes that hadn't been slept in and carefully clipped her new lightsaber to her belt. She made her way out to the meadow they had landed the Falcon in. She hadn't gotten a good look at it before. Feathery grass stretched to her thighs in some places, interspersed with small, colorful wildflowers. It was a lovely spot. Rey almost could have stayed, but she needed to move. She pushed into the trees and soon she was running through the forest, going nowhere, anywhere, anywhere but here.

Rey's boots pounded rich, dark soil between gargantuan tree trunks. She stretched out her legs in long strides, trying to put as much distance as possible behind her. Soon she lost her initial burst of energy and her body settled into a familiar rhythm. Inhale, step, step, step. Exhale, step, step, step, Inhale…Her legs began to burn and she brought a hand to her thigh, feeling her muscles stretching and bunching beneath her skin. She had to keep going. She would be stronger for it.

Her body was the only thing she had always had. On Jakku, it had been as strong as she needed it to be. When your only choice was between dragging a piece of scrap as large as yourself back to the outpost and starvation, you hauled the scrap. When your muscles began to tremble with fatigue, you knew you had to be fully committed to the task. If you abandoned your goods, you'd only be exhausted _and_ starving. Everything had to be balanced; you could only afford to work as much as the energy gained from the task allowed. And so Rey had never seen improvement from her efforts. Her body hadn't had the resources to build muscle or fat, and for all her strain, nothing ever got easier.

But then she had left Jakku and joined the Resistance, and with a steady supply of meals, exertion suddenly hadn't been essential to daily survival. At least, not as it had on Jakku. Because now Rey needed to fight the First Order, and she knew that, if not today, sooner or later her strength would decide whether she lived or died. So she had trained and trained and hoped that it would be enough, that the next time she met Kylo Ren she would still be able to hold her own against him. And she had. She could, though the turn of events hadn't been anything like what she would have predicted. Ben was still stronger than her and he had to duck to get through some of the smaller doors on the Falcon, but Rey was faster than him and that counted for something. Although she firmly didn't plan on fighting him ever again for more than practice. The galaxy was at peace, she shouldn't have to fight anyone! But bounty hunters would catch up with them eventually, and Rey would need to defend herself. And Ben. It all seemed so ironic. She would fight the galaxy to save the man she had fought to save the galaxy. But then…maybe not so ironic. He felt right, natural. Perhaps she had been fighting for him all along. Fighting him for him? Rey wasn't sure that worked. And yet, it still felt like that was what she was doing sometimes. Last night she had managed to turn him around, but for how long?

Rey closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of her strides. He had promised her. So many times he had promised her. And she believed him, but…she had believed her parents too. She had waited for them naively for over a decade before learning of their death. She would not wait for Ben in the same way. She had been so angry at him. She wasn't supposed to be angry. Jedi weren't supposed to be angry. Maybe this was why the old Jedi Code forbade attachments. The old Jedi Code forbade a lot of things, and Rey wasn't sure it was right. How was she supposed to trust her feelings if she didn't _have_ feelings? Yet she did understand why anger was frowned upon. It was an unhelpful, selfish emotion. It did cloud her judgement. It gave her a mask to hide behind. It shrouded her fear and her pain from herself as much as others. And oh, she was afraid. She had almost lost Ben to his own stupid determination to protect her. Even at that thought, she felt the anger bubbling back. _Breathe. Look deeper._ She was scared, scared of being alone once again. She was already cut off from Finn and Poe and Rose and Chewie…she hadn't even gotten to say a proper goodbye. This whole bounty on her head didn't even quite feel real yet. Sure, she had been wanted by the First Order before now. But so had the entire Resistance. They had hidden together. Many systems were on their side and willing to shelter or supply them. But now the Resistance was coming out of hiding, working to reestablish governments in the systems that had been taken over by the First Order. They couldn't hide the two who the rest of the galaxy saw as the cause of their suffering. And Rey had given herself up to the First Order once and been captured by them before that. She'd always made it out, and she'd always believed Ben wouldn't let anyone truly harm her. But she couldn't count on wavering loyalties on the other side this time. Because the other side was _her_ side. If only they understood that…but she had been everything she was accused of being. There was no way to prove she was no longer the Empress. Was she truly no longer the Empress? She hadn't even tried to manage the fury with which she had chased Ben down last night. And Ben, there was no way to prove that Ben was no longer Kylo Ren. Together…they could easily be each other's undoing. Maybe going their separate ways was the best thing for them. He brought out feelings in her that a Jedi definitely wasn't supposed to have. But the last thing she wanted to do was be without Ben.

Rey's foot caught a raised root and yanked out from under her. Instinctively, she ducked and brought an arm up to cover her face, turning her fall into a roll. Then she was sprawled on her back, looking up at bits of the bright blue sky between the leaves far above. Relief washed over her aching muscles and she realized she had completely worn herself out. She must have traveled quite a distance, she had hardly thought about how long she had been running. She considered getting up, but that seemed like too much effort. No, she would just lie here for a while. Rey had never been to Endor before. She suddenly realized that she didn't know what lived in the forests of this planet. Well, she'd heard of Ewoks, but they certainly weren't the only thing here. Rey was glad she had thought to bring her lightsaber. It struck her that she was lost alone in the forest of an alien planet, lying winded in the dirt. She had to get back. The meadow and the Falcon were relatively small targets—a slight divergence in angle at this distance and she could overshoot them. Then she would be wandering around the forests of Endor forever. She never should have just run off into the woods without thinking. If she could will the Force bond into opening, could she ask Ben to find her? Could he find her? They seemed to have gained more control over the bond lately. Well, control wasn't quite right. Rather, it felt as if they could sometimes persuade it to cooperate with their intents.

But Rey didn't want to ask Ben for help. She'd been so clingy…she wanted to prove that she didn't need him to come save her. That she had some amount of self reliance and dignity left. Besides, what could he do that she couldn't? Still, she automatically reached for Ben in the Force and realized she could sense him far away. Right. All she needed to do was follow the feeling of him. Groaning, Rey pushed herself to her aching feet and brushed some dirt off her white pants. She started to walk, setting one foot in front of the other. She had gotten herself through everything so far, most of it alone. She had fended for herself on Jakku until recently. This time she had Ben, and she had to believe that she could return to her friends someday.

* * *

Ben was sitting in the meadow, copying out letters in a booklet when Rey returned.

"You know your handwriting's already loads better than anyone I know," she said, flopping down and stretching out in the grass next to him.

"Have a good run?" Ben asked, capping his pen.

"Got a little lost," she admitted.

"I was worried you would. But then, I told myself you'd get yourself out of it if you needed to."

"I did," Rey agreed. It added to her growing sense of confidence that Ben also believed in her capabilities. "And my feet certainly hurt."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"I think…things seem clearer. Yeah, I think so. But Ben, listen." Rey pulled at Ben's hand and he leaned over her, blocking out the blue sky above. She could see her seriousness reciprocated in his features. "I don't need you to protect me. I mean—not like that. I can make my own choices. I don't want you getting hurt…or worse…because you think it's what's best for me. I don't think you realize how much the idea of being without you hurts me."

Ben nodded. "Rey? Did you mean what you said, about considering me your family?"

The question took her by surprise. "Yes. We share this connection…that's more than I can say of my…blood relatives. You and the Resistance—you're the closest I've got. I have no family."

Rey couldn't quite read Ben's expression. He seemed sad for her, perhaps. But then it cleared and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. "Amidala," he said.

"What?" Rey asked.

"It was my grandmother's name. Rey Solo Dameron Tico Organa Skywalker Amidala."

Rey closed her eyes, struggling to keep the laughter to herself. "Alright. I'll stop."

"Good," said Ben, "cause that was the last name I've got."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Aaand we're back. I'm tentatively hoping I can start doing weekly updates now, but online classes are using up most of the little motivation I have right now. Anyway, please tell me what you think! Your reviews keep me writing!


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

* * *

Ben found Rey sitting cross-legged in a corner of the Falcon with a bright light and several small tools scattered around her. It was odd to find her indoors—she seemed to enjoy the sun of the meadow and views of the forest much more than the inside of a ship. He supposed she must have spent most of her life outdoors. Perhaps it simply didn't feel normal to stay within the confines of the ship. Ben certainly found that sitting in the grass and feeling the sun on his face were things that Kylo Ren had never gotten to enjoy. He had forgotten how nice it was. He had forgotten a lot of things.

Rey looked up from the pieces of metal in her hands. "What is it?"

Ben was surprised at her tone. She was hiding it well, but she seemed…snappish. Frustrated, maybe. "Just hadn't seen you in a while. I wanted to come check up on you."

"Oh." Rey's eyes went back to her work. "I'm here. I'm fine."

"What are you working on?" Ben asked.

Rey's fingers curled around the metal in her hands. "Were you always this nosy?"

"Uh…I guess?" said Ben, running his fingers through his hair. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Yes. Maybe I've been working on this lightsaber for too long," Rey admitted, setting down the hilt.

Ben picked it up. Despite being significantly longer than the handle of any blade he had wielded, it was light in his hand. The half-deconstructed exterior had an almost delicate quality to it, with raised details giving the handle more grip and decoratively-placed holes allowing the red light of the kyber crystals to shine out near each end. Ben realized he had never actually looked at it up close.

"Where did this come from?" Ben asked.

Rey shrugged. "Exegol."

"I know, but…" Ben didn't want to press her to talk more than she wanted to. He could understand why she wouldn't like to talk about her brief reign as Empress, but he was still curious. And he of all people should understand. "It's beautiful," he said.

"Maybe so," said Rey. "I'd still like to destroy it. I'll settle for breaking it down into pieces, though. Some of these parts are quite valuable. It's the crystals I really want gone."

Ben recognized her drive. It was the same feeling that had caused him to hurl his lightsaber into the sea on Kef Bir. "So you…"

"Alright, yes. I made it. Everything I needed was waiting for me. I built the hilt, I bled the crystals," she spat. "They—they resisted hard. I broke both of them." She buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, Rey." Ben immediately felt guilty for pushing her. He wasn't sure what other sort of answer he had expected. He set the half-dismantled hilt away from them and pulled Rey to him. She sighed and settled into his arms.

"Sorry," she muttered. "It almost feels as if all the anger and pain I put into that thing is leaching back into me, the more time I spend with it."

"I think you need a break," said Ben.

"There's so much to do. Who knows how much longer we have before we have to run again?" Rey protested.

"It's okay to rest, Rey. You need it. Just leave the saber for a while."

"Okay. Fine. It's disabled for now anyway."

"Good," said Ben. "And—when you do get back to it—I think I have an idea for the crystals."

* * *

"Hey Rose, it's been a while." Rey's voice drifted back to where Ben was tinkering behind the Falcon's paneling. Every time one of them thought they had undone all of Plutt's modifications, they seemed to run into yet another illogical roadblock. Curse that son of a bantha.

"Yeah, my new project is trying to trade with the locals. I wish I could tell you more."

Rey had been slipping off when she had a few free moments lately to try to establish communication with the Ewoks. Apart from the initial encounter, Ben was impressed with how much Rey had accomplished in just a few weeks. She hadn't managed actual trades yet, but she seemed to really have a gift for languages.

"I know. I told you how the idiot tried to run off right? I'm still half convinced he only did it because it would've been the most dramatic possible way to change the situation."

Ben shuffled uncomfortably, realizing this conversation really wasn't meant for his ears. He hadn't wanted to eavesdrop. He had left Rey lounging in the cockpit when she'd mentioned comming Rose. Talking to her friends would be good for her, especially after her moodiness earlier. Ben could understand how the isolation could be getting to her. Frizz, it had only been a few weeks and even he missed her Resistance friends every once in a while. Poe definitely didn't trust him yet, but he was charming and upbeat, and Finn seemed to understand him better than anyone other than Rey. And Rose was sweet and fun, at least when she wanted to be.

"Yeah, I mean you knew his family."

Were they still talking about him? At least then, Ben supposed, he shouldn't worry too much about intruding on their gossip.

"Oh, okay," said Rey. "I'll call him."

_Ben?_

_Yes, I'm coming,_ he replied. _I can hear you, you know—sorry._

_Oh…well Rose wants to talk to you. _

Rey looked up as Ben squeezed her shoulder and leaned against the entrance to the cockpit. On the dashboard in front of her, a small projection of Rose glowed blue.

"Come here Ben," she ordered.

Rey removed her feet from the copilot's seat so that Ben could sit down. "Hi, Rose."

Rose extended a translucent hand and made swatting motions in the air. "Do you feel that? I'm slapping you."

Ben hung his head, grinning through the skein of hair that fell into his face. "I can imagine."

"You. Stay with Rey. Break her heart and I _will _find you."

"Yes ma'am."

"Rose…" said Rey. "Ben's been thoroughly scolded."

"Yeah, fine. Anyway, I wanted to ask you some questions about the First Order."

Ben frowned and looked at his hands in his lap, then back up at Rose. "Alright, go ahead."

"Finn's got a new project. It's something long overdue in a lot of our minds." Rose brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "He and Jannah have been trying to help the other former stormtroopers adjust—you know, get them used to non-military society, reconnect them with family or friends where they can."

Ben nodded. The project had been in its beginning stages when he and Rey had left.

"Anyway, lately Finn's been looking for the training bases. He thinks that's where we'll be able to do the most good—and I don't disagree—the kids they were taking were so young. We've got the most hope for them, and we think they need their families more than any of them. The trainees can't've been destroyed at Exegol—Finn says they don't see combat until they've had a lot more training. But he also said that a lot of his training was Star Destroyers, or Starkiller Base. So he thinks the training centers will be hard to track down. We haven't had much luck so far. So, um, I wanted to know if you had any leads."

Ben took his time, searching his memory and running the hem of his shirt between his fingers before answering. "I never had a lot to do with the stormtrooper program—it was mostly Hux's domain and I tried to avoid him. And I was never in favor of taking children, so I don't know that I have much useful information. I believe a lot of the training after Starkiller was destroyed did take place in space. Some units visited remote areas of First Order worlds for training exercises. I suppose some may be stranded still." Ben paused. "You could try Athulla."

"Athulla?" Rose asked.

"It was one of the First Order's first training centers. They called it Project Resurrection. It was started not too long after the fall of the Empire. Long before I was…in the picture. I'm not sure how active it's been recently, but you might at least pick up some trails."

"Thank you, Ben," said Rose with a slight smile. "I'll pass along the information. I'm sure the project will appreciate it."

Ben shrugged. "I told you, I never liked the stormtrooper program."

* * *

"I wish the holos weren't blue," Rey sighed. "Any other color but blue."

She and Rose had just finished talking, and she'd found Ben in the Falcon's main hold.

"Hm?" Ben looked up. He'd been lost in thought, his mind drifting to the past as it sometimes did, wondering this time if he could've dramatically altered the stormtrooper program if he had been more forceful with Hux. "What's wrong with the color?"

"It just…it's too much like talking to your mother. Or Luke," Rey added, sitting down. "I mean, I know she's alive, and I know…I have hope that I'll see her again, but stars, she looks like a ghost. That's—that's all that exists of Rose in my world now." Rey leaned against Ben and closed her eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I was alone so much of my life and it was, well, it felt okay. And I'm not even alone this time, but…"

"I miss your friends too, sometimes," Ben admitted. "I didn't accept that I needed anyone either. Sometimes it's harder once you do."

Rey sighed. "Rose said the bounty's up to 26 million. It's not looking good for returning any time soon."

Ben wistled. "That is certainly a lot of credits."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a while. "You will," Ben said finally.

"What?"

"You will see them again. I promise."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the false hope folks. I wanted to update sooner but then life happened. The good news is my term has two weeks left and then it's summer! So I'll have all the time to write. I hope.

Also, this chapter is _such_ a quarantine mood for me.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_**

* * *

Ben surveyed his page of gentle, tapering curves. He wished he had access to a more complete set of ink and brushes like his old one. This simple pen was alright for lettering, but he thought it didn't quite do justice to Rey.

She was kneeling by the river, maybe thirty paces away, scrubbing something—probably oil from the Falcon—out of one of her outer wraps. What they had come to consider their meadow stretched down to the riverbank, and the nearby water source had proven useful. And before the Resistance, Ben could hardly remember the last time he had been somewhere with earth and plants and moving water. It was the sort of beauty he had always taken for granted before. He added a few fine, quick strokes to his page: the suggestion of grass around Rey's feet. Yes, this world was certainly beautiful. But Rey was still the loveliest thing on it.

Ben's subject looked over her shoulder and raised a teasing eyebrow at him. He sighed and set down his drawing. Once she noticed him watching her, she never quite held herself right. Ben wanted to capture an organic Rey, not some performance. He stood up and made his way down the bank.

"Still trying to conserve water?"

"Yes," said Rey. "I've told you, the Falcon has a limited clean supply."

"We can get more, you know." Ben sat down on the bank, pulled off his boots, rolled up his pants, and stretched his legs into the current. "You're not on Jakku anymore," He reminded her gently.

"Well, call it habit, I guess," Rey said, laying the damp fabric over the meadow grasses to dry in the warm sun. "Even using water to wash was a rare luxury in the desert."

"So you'd never been swimming before you got off Jakku?" It had been one of Ben's favorite things as a child. Then he realized he already knew her answer; it had been a dumb question.

"I've never been swimming. I…I don't really know how to swim," Rey admitted. "Well, I fell in the ocean once."

"I can show you!" Ben offered. "The current's gentle here, and it's a hot day. It's perfect for learning."

"Ben, don't we have things to do?"

"You always manage to find things that need to be done. But we've got enough food and water, we're here, and we're safe, and this place is beautiful," Ben pleaded. "When was the last time you had a vacation?"

Rey's brows furrowed as she stared into the water. "That was never a choice I got to make."

"I know," said Ben. "I didn't either. But I keep saying you need a break. Just for today. Besides, you've gotten plenty done already."

"Loads of help _you've _been with that," Rey commented.

"Hey! I helped you rewire what felt like half the Falcon yesterday!"

Rey smiled and looked away, then flicked a handful of river water at Ben.

"Don't make me dump you in the river," Ben growled. "After last time, you'd deserve it."

Rey snorted. "That was your own fault."

* * *

She was right of course. It had barely been more than a few weeks ago, one of the last days before they had unknowingly left Ajan Kloss for the last time. Ben had begun to develop a habit of sitting by a wide stream a good distance from the main Resistance base. It was a nice secluded spot to meditate or train, especially when the base got to hectic. Now, things seemed pretty calm for once, but Ben hadn't seen Rey in a while and he certainly had nothing better to do. So he made his way to the stream, pushing through the jungle's thick undergrowth. He stepped out from between broad, waxy leaves just downstream of a shallow pool, and immediately realized he had been mistaken in assuming that he was alone in using this spot.

The girls were facing away from him, and Ben watched in stunned silence as a nearly naked Rose, soapy lather in her hair, tried to tug Rey into deeper than knee-level water. Farther upstream, several more women rested on rocks or were busy washing in the stream. Ben had never seen so much of Rey before. Or of anyone, really, as far as he remembered. He could feel his face heating quickly. He really should have predicted this—now that he thought about it, almost everyone he had passed on his way here had been male. And the base had been quickly put together with only essential running water, of course not everyone would bathe indoors.

In the shallows of the stream, Rey gave Rose a playful shove then bent to help her up when she toppled into the water. Then Rey stood up sharply, looking over her shoulder, and the way her eyes widened told Ben she had spotted him. Rose lifted herself out of the river and turned to face him, feet planted apart and hands on her hips.

"Hey!" she shouted.

Now would be an excellent time to get out of here. Actually, a minute ago would have been an excellent time to get out of here. But Ben's body didn't seem to want to cooperate. It felt like one leg wanted to take him straight up to Rey, bring him closer to all of her lovely form, while the other wanted to run swiftly in the opposite direction.

Rose marched toward Ben and kicked a spray of water at him. She was much too far to actually hit him, but then Ben watched dumbly as a blob of water separated from the stream and floated next to a giggling Rey, then flung after the thrust of her arm, straight into the side of Ben's face.

_Kriff, kriff, kriff. _Ben's legs came unfrozen and he sprinted back into the jungle. _Sorry, sorry, sorry, _he projected at Rey.

_Remember that time we Force bonded and you were shirtless? _came Rey's voice.

_Yes? _Ben almost stopped running. It was the last thing he had expected her to say, but her next words spurred him into a faster gait.

_This is revenge._

* * *

"Yeah, I don't have much of an argument," said Ben, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Wait…" Rey froze, watching him. "Do we have to be…naked?"

"What?" Ben asked, dumbly. "Oh, no. Of course not. It just…anything you're wearing will get waterlogged and looser things will make it harder to move. It's better to wear…less."

"Okay." Rey slowly tugged off her shirt and pants, then folded them neatly and set them on a clean patch of grass. Her shoulders hunched inward as she placed her discarded garments, then straightened as she stood up. In the last few weeks on Endor, her skin had darkened and regained its glow, and the pale scar on her ribs stood out in contrast. Ben thought perhaps even he wasn't quite as pale as he used to be either. He longed to go to Rey, run his hand along the curve of her hip, kiss her everywhere, feel all that newly exposed skin against his. But she was looking away, and he could feel her nerves vibrating out through their bond.

"Rey, is everything okay?" he asked, stepping toward her. "You can swim in your clothes, I just thought it would be okay since I've seen, uh, most of you."

"But not all of me," she said softly.

"Rey?"

"No, it's okay. We were going to have to talk about it sooner or later. I'd rather it be now."

"Talk about what?" Ben took a gulp of air to suppress his panic. _You don't have to. You don't have to do anything for me. Please don't think you do._

_I know,_ Rey responded.

* * *

**Author's Note: **An incredibly self-indulgent, fluffy flashback and a hard conversation. Sorry for the short chapter, initially this and chapter 8 were one but it was over 3,000 words and I don't want to set those kinds of standards for myself, haha. So it ends in kind of a weird place, but the next will pick up exactly where I left off.

Also, because I can't respond directly to guest reviews: action is coming, I promise! One more fluffy chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

* * *

Rey sighed as she unwound the wrappings from her forearms, then dropped the strips of cloth at her feet. Her eyes never left them, as if she could still hide in their coils. One arm crossed her body to limply grasp her other wrist.

"May I see?" Ben murmured, closing the distance between them.

Silently, Rey slackened her grip and let Ben take her hands in his.

At first, Ben couldn't quite make out the markings—they weren't large, and the ink had grown fuzzy and blue with time. Then he realized they were letters, a conjoined and stylized usk and peth on each wrist. But…why? How had she ended up with these tattoos? Ben's head was reeling. He realized now that he _had_ never seen Rey remove her arm wraps before. He'd never thought much of it.

"…Unkar Plutt," she said. "It was common practice to mark scavengers with the initials of their masters."

Ben squeezed her hands. Her gaze still lingered somewhere between their feet. "You—you were a slave?"

"Indentured servant, technically. I bought myself back when I was seventeen. It didn't really change much. I was allowed to start covering the marks then. And then I just…I never wanted people to see. What I was. What I'd been."

Three years. Three years that Rey had legally belonged to herself. All this time, when he'd thought the entire galaxy stood against him…and she'd been bought and sold like an object.

Ben ran his thumb over one faded tattoo. "You could get them covered up with something pretty if it bothers you so much. They're small, it would be easy."

Rey shrugged. "They'll fade in a few years. Scavengers aren't expected to live long lives, not long enough to justify permanent ink."

Horror unfurled itself in the pit of Ben's stomach. She'd been expected to die before these already blurred tattoos faded. Like she was nothing, not even worth permanent ink. Fury was already replacing his dismay. Who was this man, this Unkar Plutt, to think he could claim, control, _own_ the force of nature that was Rey? Ben wanted him dead.

_I'm not angry_, he told himself.

_I'm not angry. _

_Yeah, no. I'm kriffing angry._

"Ben?" Rey was finally looking up at him, her eyes shadowed with uncertainty, and he wondered if she'd heard his thoughts through the bond.

Ben blinked at her, finding his throat dry and no words coming to his lips. So he dropped Rey's hands and pulled her tight against his chest instead. She was stiff in his arms, and after a moment she pushed back against his chest lightly. Ben wanted desperately to keep her there, comfort her from the horrors of her past, but he knew deep down that he was only comforting himself. A hug couldn't change that she'd been bought and sold. The guilty feeling of uselessness flared up in Ben, easy fuel for his growing vengeful rage. He released his grip, letting Rey take a step back. Her eyes darted from his gaze, shy and evasive once again. "Talk to me, please," he said, trying to force the words to come out normally through his clenched jaw. "There's still something bothering you, I can tell."

"I just—I know you're angry and—how can you even look at me, knowing you're, well, _you_, and I've been _owned?_"

"Rey." Ben brought a hand up, tilting her chin to bring her eyes to his. _Rey, how could you even think that?_

_How could you not?_

Ben leaned down and kissed her firmly, pulling her flush with him again. _I love you, Rey. It would take a hell of a lot more to change that. _

Like they always did, her lips began to sooth his anger and Ben considered simply taking refuge there. But Rey pulled back and Ben let her go regretfully. She was still looking up at him with a funny look on her face, as if she knew he believed his words, but she wasn't fully convinced of their truth.

"Do you really think," he said, "that I, Ben Solo, kriff-up of all kriff-ups, am too good for you, Rey, the last Jedi and savior of the Resistance, frizz, and probably the galaxy?"

"Well, it does sound a little silly when you put it that way. But you're not a kriff-up."

"There's my girl. And that's not what we're arguing."

"Then…why are you mad?"

Oh…because of that beast Plutt. Ben's futile need to protect Rey from her past came rushing back in. "I want to kill him," he growled.

"Ben, no. We can't. We don't have time."

"We've got _plenty _of time. Jakku isn't far."

"I mean we don't have time to do it properly, not right now. What do you think would happen if we did? Either someone would just take his place or half the scavengers in Niima would starve."

"Oh," Ben whispered, some of his rage cooling.

"We'd need to rework the whole system. And we can't draw attention to ourselves right now."

"You're right." Ben blinked, feeling a little foolish, and gazed into the trees behind Rey. "I wish I'd known…I could have destroyed him and remade Jakku."

Rey shook her head. "You didn't even know I existed. It wouldn't have gone that way, not then. I'm…I'm grateful you never tried. But we will." When she looked up at him, the fire in her eyes told him she'd thought a lot about this before. "Someday we will remake Jakku."

She leaned her forehead against his bare chest. "Sorry…you just wanted to go swimming."

Ben stroked her hair with an amused chuckle. "Yes, I did. We still have time."

"Really?" Rey's eyes were bright and Ben thought maybe they both needed this moment of idleness.

"Yes, come on." He tugged Rey toward the water. "Before you change your mind."

* * *

They waded into the cool water, with Ben just ahead, leading Rey behind him. Rey squeaked and stopped when the water rose to her waist, pulling her hand free from Ben's grasp and holding her arms up out of the river's reach.

"It's not that bad," said Ben, before remembering that Rey was more sensitive to colder temperatures than he. "It's easier if you just go in all at once."

"Alright." She took a lungful of air before submerging to her shoulders and quickly standing. "Now you."

Ben barely had a chance to replicate her actions before she hit him with a splash of river water. He wiped the droplets from his eyelids and stared down at her. Rey's face wore a little smirk and Ben found himself reciprocating. She had recovered her playful nature so much faster than he would have expected, and he had to admit to himself, he was almost in awe of her fierce positivity. The water had seeped through her light-colored breast band, revealing more than he was perhaps meant to see, but she didn't seem to care, standing straight with a new edge of confidence. Ben sensed that there were no more secrets between them. Perhaps that was it.

Little water droplets glistened in the light as they traced their way down Rey's golden skin, and suddenly, Ben wanted with all of himself to follow them. He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers, all warm and soft and gentle pressure. She weighed almost nothing in the water as he lifted her, and her legs came around his waist as her fingers tangled in his dripping hair. Oh, his beautiful, wonderful, resilient Rey. Her skin was cool from the river but it heated quickly against his touch. And then Rey broke away from the kiss, one hand on his chest as she looked at him with doe eyes.

"Swimming?"

"Right," he groaned, and let her down regretfully. Her sideways glance promised they would pick up later where they had left off.

* * *

Like always, Rey learned quickly. Maybe even too quickly—Ben already missed the feel of her in his arms as he supported her near the surface. But now her strokes were starting to lose some of their beginner clumsiness, and she seemed to be handling herself well in the new environment. Rey had always picked up Ben's skills easily—perhaps it was their communication gift, he thought.

Ben flipped on his back and let himself float, the river encouraging him downstream. His progress was suddenly blocked by Rey, who popped up in front of him. The current gently wrapped him around her shoulders.

"Show me how to do that?" she asked.

Ben stood up in the river. The water came up to his chest but the current was weak. "Oh. Yes, you should know how to float."

"How do you stay up like that?" Rey tilted her head, looking up at him quizzically.

"The river will support you. You've just got to keep your head up and trust it," said Ben. "Come on, I'll hold you."

Rey seemed wary, but she flipped onto her back and Ben spread his fingers beneath her shoulders. "Okay," she said.

"Now, just stay like that." Ben removed a hand.

"I don't know," said Rey. "It feels…wrong."

"Just trust the water," Ben said again. "It will hold you." Slowly, Ben slid his remaining hand out from under Rey's shoulder, hoping she wouldn't notice. She remained suspended at the surface, her arms outstretched like wings. Ben reached down to trace the curl of hair at her temple, plastered against her jaw. "There, you're getting it."

"Ben!" Rey snatched his hand, folding into the water as she did so. Ben scooped his free arm around her waist, pulling her up against him as she got her feet under her. "You were supposed to be holding me."

"You seemed to be doing just fine until you noticed. Besides, I've seen you levitate. You'd be fine."

"So you're saying I should just use the Force to help me?" Rey teased, twisting her neck around so she could look at him. Her bare back was still pressed against Ben's front. He had been trying, really trying, not to let the smooth curve of her small breasts or the way her white undergarments contrasted her golden skin distract him. Because Rey wanted to swim and so did he. But now, well, it was getting harder to focus.

"No, I'm saying I know you _could_ use the Force to do just about anything you needed."

Rey shifted against him, dropping his gaze and looking out into the river instead.

"Rey?" Ben said into her hair.

"Is it selfish that I like that part of you?"

"What?"

"The part of you that seems to think I could do everything."

"Oh, Rey, I don't think so. You deserve nice things. Like people believing in you. I like the part of you that seems to think I can do _anything at all,_" he said, smiling crookedly. "But don't trust me, I'm not an expert on not being selfish."

"Oh shut up, Ben." Rey was still gripping his wrist, and she pulled his arm across her shoulders, pressing her lips to the back of his hand.

"Alright, shutting up." Ben nuzzled her loose wet hair and the back of her ear.

Rey twisted to face him in his arms. "I think we should get out of the river."

"Hmm?" Ben said with mock innocence. "Don't you want to practice floating?"

"You said yourself I was doing fine. Besides, I'm getting cold. You seem warm though."

"Well I can't argue with _that_," said Ben.

Rey stretched up to kiss his jaw, then pulled him toward the shore. Ben's skin tingled where her lips had been. He realized they had left their clothes a ways upstream. He decided he couldn't care less.

* * *

The afternoon sun was approaching the trees as Ben lay dozing in the meadow, head propped on Rey's thighs. She'd been reading at first, probably one of the old Jedi texts, and Ben had watched her tie her hair loosely at the nape of her neck to keep it from dripping on the pages. But now her fingers were weaving through his hair, so she must have abandoned the book. It was a nice feeling, he decided. Then she let out the hint of a giggle, and Ben had to know what she was up to. His hand flew up and caught her wrist, and she jumped and dropped a handful of blue meadow flowers.

"I thought you were still asleep!" Rey exclaimed.

Ben brought a hand up to find gauzy petals. "Were you…sticking flowers in my hair?"

"That's what you get for falling asleep on me. Besides, I think you look very handsome in them," she teased.

Ben couldn't help laughing as she grinned down at him. He found he was doing that a lot these days. What would anyone have thought of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, napping in a meadow while this wonderful girl filled his hair with flowers. It was ridiculous. Snoke would have been _so_ angry. For some reason, Ben found the idea satisfying, comforting even. Ben had feared the man's disapproval above all else for so long, perhaps now that was the only thing to do—anything and everything Snoke would have hated him for.

"Rey," said Ben. The golden light caught the little hairs that had escaped her ponytail and fanned out around her face. "You're _everything._"

* * *

**Author's Note: **wouldn't it be a shame if someone *cough* ruined their happiness *cough*

**UPDATE:** I'm travelling this weekend so there won't be a chapter today. I'm really sorry. Chapter 9 is done but chapter 10 is not, and I don't want to end up in place where y'all have to wait longer than usual for a cliffhanger to be resolved.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

* * *

The Ewok village was starting to be Rey's favorite place on Endor. Thatched huts ringed the trunks of the gargantuan trees, several stories above the forest floor. Rope bridges wove between the trees, connecting the structures. It was the polar opposite of Jakku, Rey thought, cool and damp and densely packed with life below the dense green canopy. There was something whimsical about the tree village, and the Ewoks were, well, cute. She'd never tell Ben that, of course. The little creatures did not seem to like him. Perhaps it was because he was taller than two of them combined, she mused.

"Yaa-yaah," Rey greeted. She had taught herself basic Ewokese from an old computer on Jakku, but before her stay on Endor she had never gotten a chance to use it. Now, she figured, if she had known then what Ewoks were or where they lived, she never would have taught herself the language. But all sorts of species came through Niima, and not all of them had the vocal apparatus for Galactic Basic. So Rey learned every language she could, because communication was a poor reason to miss a trade deal. It certainly came in handy now, though.

Rey unwrapped a bundle of shiny metal parts. Ewoks liked metal, she'd found. They used parts from a couple of old Imperial AT-STs, but she was pretty sure that was their only source. The pieces that Plutt had added to Falcon, now discarded, ought to be worth something, then.

The four gathered Ewoks oohed and muttered. Rey had discovered that there was a lot of their language she still didn't understand.

A big one with silvery fur got up and returned a moment later with a sack of roasted caf beans almost half his size. Rey sighed. She'd hoped for fresh food, berries or meat maybe, but the Ewoks had enough work keeping their own tribe fed. She could see rows of caf bushes lining the forest floor between the inhabited trees. Besides, the rations she and Ben had collected on Kef Bir would last them a while longer. Rey could haggle when she wanted to, but the trade in itself was something of an accomplishment. So she accepted the bag and handed over the parts. Well, Ben would be happy. Rey had decided that caf was an acquired taste.

Saying goodbye to the Ewoks, Rey headed out of the village, the bag over her shoulder significantly heavier than when she had set out. It was a long walk back to the Falcon, but like most days on Endor, it was sunny and cool, and Rey didn't mind the distance. Light filtered through the thick canopy and dappled her forearms and the sack of caf. The weight of her lightsaber on her belt was reassuring. Rey had become acquainted with some of Endor's bolder fauna, and wasn't keen on travelling far unarmed. Still, she hadn't met anything yet that couldn't be repelled with a lightsaber.

The hairs on the back of Rey's neck prickled as she felt a hand on her shoulder. No other human should be out here with her. Her instinctive reach in the Force was met with a familiar, comfortable presence, and her nerves settled.

"Leia," she said.

"Rey." She couldn't see the general, but Rey could almost feel the whisper of her breath in her ear. "Get back to my son. He needs you. Now!"

Leia's presence faded as quickly as it had come and Rey filled her lungs sharply. She didn't know what Leia's warning meant, but clearly, she didn't have time to think on it. She ran.

At first, it was easy. Fear must have either fueled her or turned her mind from the pain of her overtaxed muscles and ragged breaths. Soon, though, she realized she'd set a pace she couldn't keep. But she had to try. Maybe she could warn him.

_Show him to me,_ Rey begged, her feet pounding the dark soil. _Please. Please. _She almost, _almost_, missed her days of being the Empress. She'd had enough raw power then to manipulate the Force bond to her bidding. Now, she could really use that. Fortunately, the Force was kind to her.

It wasn't quite like their connections in the past. She could see Ben in a sort of hazy, translucent way, as if only with one eye. And she could see the meadow grass around him too, swaying and bobbing in the slight breeze. Ben was engrossed in something in lap, below the curtain of grasses. He hadn't seen her yet.

"Ben!" Rey shouted. He flipped a cream-colored page without looking up. Then Rey realized: the Force had granted what she had asked. She could see him, and that was all.

_No, no, no._ Ben couldn't hear her. He couldn't see her. How had he gotten so comfortable, so secure, in just a few months? He had never let his guard down as Kylo Ren.

Rey pushed herself to move faster. If only she could get closer, just _close enough_…Their telepathic link didn't usually work at distances like this, not unless the bond was open.

"_BEN!_" Rey focused all her energy on projecting the words as far as they would go, and they ripped themselves from her lips at the same time. "_Something's coming!_"

Ben looked up, then over his shoulder and back toward her. "Rey?"

"Ben! Get out of there, arm yourself, something!" Rey gasped, trying to collect her breath.

"Rey?" Ben asked again. He hadn't heard her. But he'd stood up, and his hand strayed toward the saber at his belt.

Suddenly, Rey's foot hooked in a tree root somewhere in the obscured side of her vision. She went down, closing her eyes and rolling. When she opened them again, Ben was gone.

_Keep moving_, she told herself.

It wasn't long before Ben and the meadow were creeping back into her vision. He was standing, not far from where he'd been, it seemed, lightsaber drawn, deflecting blaster bolts. He caught one with the Force and pushed it off to the side as Rey watched.

The vision was taking up more than half of her vision, now. She could sort of see the trees through the darker patches especially, but Rey felt dizzy, like she had become unstuck in space. But she had to keep moving. Branches ripped at her hair, her face, her arms. Undergrowth was good, at least. It meant she was nearing the edge of the forest.

Ben started to advance on the shooter, twirling his saber before him in defense. Rey blinked and rubbed at her eyes. She swayed as she ran, her shoulder catching on a rough tree trunk. In the patches of vision she had left, the ground seemed to race up to meet her. Her bag snapped open and caf beans rolled out across the forest floor. Rey grabbed for the tree that had tripped her and pulled herself up against its bark. A branch whipped across her forehead as she pushed herself forward. _Ben. I'm coming. I'm coming sweetheart. _

Then Rey was on the ground again, at least, she thought. The disorienting feeling was overwhelming. She couldn't tell which way was up. But she knew forward. Forward was in front of her. Forward was where she needed to be.

_Rey?_ Ben glanced in her direction, almost imperceptibly. She was close, she had to be. Hot, sticky blood dripped down her forehead and started to pool in her eye. She dug her nails into the dirt, pulling herself forward.

_I'm coming, Ben._

A flash of blue light came from behind him. It struck his back and he dropped. Rey could see heavy boots stomping toward him. Whoever owned them raised his blaster and brought the stock down against Ben's forehead.

"No, Ben!"

Rey's vision went black.

* * *

Rey pushed apart the bushes at the edge of the meadow. There were three of them, two sitting with blasters in their laps and one pacing between. They all wore metal masks and mismatched armor. Bounty hunters.

Their ship was boxy and smaller than the Falcon, with several obvious turrets. Rey thought she might have stripped a similar model on Jakku, but she didn't have time to think about it, because there was Ben. He was hanging against the ship, suspended by his bound hands pulled back above his head.

_Ben?_ Rey reached out tentatively. _Ben?_ Nothing. He was alive, she could sense that much. Not too long ago he'd been holding her in the river, laughing as she teased him, swooping in to kiss her hair as he walked by her workstation on the Falcon. And now he was limp against this ship. How dare they take him from her.

Mechanized voices floated to Rey's ears, and she strained to make out the words. "...Bring him inside already?"

"...Half the bounty…girl'll show up for him soon enough."

So this was a trap. For her. Rey didn't give a kriff. The girl would show up, alright. She should have been tired from running, from struggling against her invading vision, from falling and picking herself up over and over, but instead, she burned for the fight.

The first one didn't even have a chance to draw his blaster. Reaching for the Force to assist her, Rey vaulted out of the bushes and came down in front of him, slicing him vertically in two before her feet hit the ground.

She turned to deflect the hail of blaster fire now aimed at her, slowly advancing on the two remaining bounty hunters. When she reached them, oh when she reached them, they would be sorry they ever messed with Ben Solo.

* * *

Ben came to in a groggy haze. He could feel Rey whispering his name at the edge of his consciousness. Rey? Where was she?

Then the pain hit him, and all other thoughts left him. He'd endured plenty as Kylo Ren, drawn strength from the pain even, but somehow, this was worse. His head throbbed like something was squeezing his skull. He cracked open an eyelid, then blinked quickly. The light...even the light hurt. Rey's light wasn't like this. It was warm and gentle and never hurt. Usually.

That's right…Rey. Where was Rey? Ben reached for her in the Force, but even that felt fuzzy. So he fought the light again, and this time managed to keep his eyes open long enough to take in his surroundings. He was hanging by his wrists, which explained the dull ache in his shoulders he could feel every now and then when the pain in his head reduced enough to be overpowered. No, Rey. He was supposed to be looking for Rey.

The light wasn't quite so bad the third time, but Ben's eyes didn't want to hold a focus on anything. Then he spotted Rey, and she was moving so quickly he wasn't sure he would've been able to focus on her anyway. She dropped out of the sky, cleaving a man Ben had only just noticed in two with her gold blade. Two more—they looked like bounty hunters—opened fire on her. Rey began to deflect their shots, gaining ground on the two men. One tried to flank her, but she raised a hand, sending blasts back the way they'd come, still defending herself from the other with her saber. The man only barely dodged a deflected stun shot, then hissed something to the other, who tossed over his blaster and ran in Ben's direction. The first bounty hunter was also retreating toward him.

Then Ben was being lowered. He tried to stand as his feet found a metal ramp, but his legs buckled under him. This bounty hunter was dragging him roughly. He had to get up, had to get to Rey. He could throw this man off in a second. Rey needed help. He ordered his legs to lift him and still nothing happened. It was then that he realized: he must have been stunned. The Force, the Force would help him then. Ben reached to push the man away from him, but he couldn't focus, couldn't stop thinking about Rey, the pain in his head…

The bounty hunter stumbled back a pace, then regained his ground and half-lifted Ben up the ramp. His comrade wasn't far behind, and Rey had nearly closed the distance herself. The ramp began to raise, taking the man Rey pursued with it. She lunged toward him desperately, ducking under his blaster fire, and skewered him on her blade. He toppled as she leapt for the ramp. The man next to Ben ripped a side arm from his thigh, and time seemed to slow down as he took the point-blank shot. He had to miss, he couldn't hit her, not now, Ben thought numbly.

Then Rey shrieked and dropped from the ramp. Ben barely glimpsed her sprawled on the ground before the ramp slammed shut and the ship jolted into the air.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry this is late, folks. I was away last weekend and hardly had time to write. But we're back now!

In a completely unrelated note, last week my crush told me they wished we were Force bonded after we tried (and of course failed) to touch hands through Zoom. I don't usually share personal stories here (for obvious reasons, y'all are here for fanfic, not my life) but I thought this crowd would appreciate that.

As always, please let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

* * *

Rey jumped to her feet, wincing and almost falling again as pain shot up her leg, but she held her ground. Pain was a luxury she couldn't afford right now. She was not going to let Ben get away this time. Not now, not ever. She grabbed for the rising ship and held it in the Force. It struggled against her pull, and she hoped it would take long enough for the bounty hunters inside to determine what was causing the vessel's momentary paralysis. Rey was in a vulnerable position, and she wouldn't attempt to ground the ship like she had on Pasaana. Even without another Force user working against her, it was too risky. After what had happened…no, she only needed to hold the ship for a moment.

If this was anything like the model she'd worked on on Jakku, there would be a maintenance hatch on the underside. At first Rey thought she was out of luck. Then she spotted the handle, indented and streamlined to the rest of the ship's body. She ran toward it, boosting herself forward with the Force when her leg almost gave out. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up, holding the ship and supporting herself. She reached the handle. The craft was about six feet off the ground, but it seemed to be gaining altitude inch by inch. Rey felt inside for a latch. Click. _Come on, come on. _She fumbled, pressing inward, and the latch clicked again. Any minute now, she'd be lifted off the ground.

Then the hatch swung open and downward. Rey jumped, but her leg wasn't going to let her get far. She released the ship and put all of her attention into propelling herself upward. Her hands caught the rim of the opening in the vessel's belly, just as it shot into the air. Panting, Rey dragged herself up. There was crawlspace about two feet tall between the other shell and the ship's insides. Rey gratefully pulled herself into it, then turned around to close the hatch on the shrinking trees and rivers of Endor's forest moon.

Rey's thigh throbbed. She gingerly reached down to touch the wound; in the low light she could barely make out her surroundings. The heat of the blaster bolt seemed to have cauterized the hole it had left, because she couldn't feel any blood. Well, that was something, at least. She wouldn't be at immediate risk of bleeding out. But the wound…she would still have to deal with that somehow.

Exposed wires draped around her. Rey wasn't sure what would happen in her space when the ship left the atmosphere. The life support systems had to reach this far, right? At least enough for inflight maintenance, Rey hoped. Well, she would find out sooner or later. She lay stretched out in the small space, filling her lungs with ragged gulps of air.

* * *

Ben's cell was small and dusty and very, very locked. He idly supposed he deserved it. He had certainly shut his fair number of prisoners away in similar cells. Although the First Order kept everything neat and sterile, not like this place.

Ben tried to stand, but the room seemed to spin and he sat down hard. He leaned back against the wall. His hands were still in binders, resting against his knees. At least the lighting was dim in here. It didn't hurt his eyes quite so much. He could almost stay here. Almost. But Rey was not here, thankfully. She should not be locked up too. But he was supposed to be with Rey. Where was she? He had seen her…Ben groaned. His head ached, and each passing thought evaded his attempts to string it into some sort of order. Rey, focus on Rey. When had he seen her? She was hurt. He had seen her hurt. Ow. Ben couldn't remember much. It hadn't been that long, had it? He should be able to feel her, right? The Force, he could reach her. He felt for her. There was a part of his mind she usually occupied, but now, that part just hurt. He had to get to her. He had to find her.

* * *

Rey shuffled through the crawlspace. She didn't have much of a plan, but at least she was here with Ben. She could feel him at the edge of her consciousness, fuzzy but alive. Rey wasn't sure how much longer that would last. In the meadow, the bounty hunters had needed him alive to draw her in. Now, they seemed to have decided she wasn't worth the effort.

Rey pressed her ear against the ground. She was above the main body of the ship now, although she wasn't exactly sure where. She was drawing from deep memories, long eroded by the sands of Jakku. She'd spent plenty of time in crawlspaces like these—it was where the good parts were.

The engine hummed loudly, and Rey was afraid it would muffle anything of use. Then two voices drifted up to her. They were thin and distorted by the ambient noise, but that probably meant she was over the cockpit. It also meant that there must have been a pilot, waiting in the ship while Rey killed his comrades. So there were at least two left.

Rey thought she could make out muffled laughter. "…doesn't matter…just one…took care of those two…split four ways…"

It took her a moment to understand them. Then she realized they were gloating over their capture and the death of the other two. Sure, they'd gotten half of the wanted duo, but their own numbers had been split in half too. So the survivors would come out of it with as much cash as they'd expected.

Rey swallowed her disgust. Wires looped around her, twisting together and running down to connect to the control panel. She'd seen these wires before—they were worth something themselves on Jakku, but the real value lay in the parts they led to. Rey picked through them and extracted a thick, blue-coated wire. This strand should connect to one of the most valuable pieces of the ship: the hyperdrive. At least, it did in the model she'd disassembled. It had been a rare chance, a ship that had crashed overnight, not part of the old battlefield. Rey had been the one of the first scavengers on the site. But who knew what modifications had been made to this one. Rey hoped it was the hyperdrive. It might have also been artificial gravity. Well, that could at least distract the bounty hunters anyway. Rey would find out soon enough.

Arranging herself so there was room in the small space, Rey ignited her lightsaber and slashed the wire.

* * *

Ben had to get out of the cell. Because Rey was not here, and he was supposed to be with Rey. He was also sure that she was injured, although he couldn't really say where that idea had come from. It didn't matter—Rey needed him, so he needed to find her.

Where was he, again? It was obvious that he was locked up somewhere. His wrists were still in binders, and he was alone in a small room, lined with metal panelling. There was a door on one wall, but it was closed and clearly not meant to be opened from the inside. Ben was pretty sure he'd tried it. He really should've by now. Although he couldn't really remember how long he had been here. Or why he was here, either. But he knew he had to get _out. _Ben reached instinctively for his lightsaber—it was rather awkward because his hands were still bound together—to find its place at his belt empty. That wasn't right. He kept it on him almost always…oh. Whoever had locked him in here must have taken it. That would be the sensible thing to do.

Ben looked down at his forearms. He'd have to free his hands before he could try anything else. There was a dark smudge on the inside of his arm. He squinted at it. A word scrawled in black ink. He tried to force the letters into focus. Maybe this would tell him something. Kriff, his eyes hurt. And his head throbbed constantly. The word, what did the word say? Ben stretched out his arm. The distance helped and the word came into a smudged sort of focus. It said…_LUNCH_. Kriff, that was so incredibly unhelpful. Why…well, he'd worry about it later.

Ben tugged at the binders, which caught at his wrists. If only it weren't for his blasted hands…than he remembered. It was a challenge to configure his right hand to grasp his left wrist, but he managed it. He pressed the soft spot at the base of his palm and twisted sharply. The hand went limp and popped off with a click, revealing the threads and circuitry that had been fully joined to his flesh for attachment. Ben tugged his forearm out of the cuff. The binders still hung from his right wrist like an impractical bracelet, but at least his arms and hands had full range of motion now.

A ceiling panel above Ben creaked and swung open, and _something _dropped from it.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry Chapter 10 has taken so long. It ended up being a very long chapter so I had to break it into two. This keeps happening—I guess it's a good thing. My update schedule is kinda wack now though, but that seemed better than making y'all wait any longer on that cliffhanger.

As always, let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

* * *

Ben's prosthetic hand clattered to the floor as he scrambled backward. He stared, trying to force the double image into one, before he realized he could feel her.

"Rey?"

She bent and picked up the detached hand at her feet.

"Kriff, I was so worried about you," he said.

"Oh, you're one to talk," she replied in a hissed whisper. "Getting yourself _kidnapped_. Stars, Ben. Here, give me your arm." Rey knelt next to him and refastened his hand. Ben stretched his fingers, making sure everything was properly aligned.

"Now let me heal your head."

"What?" Ben touched his forehead, finding it tender. "It's just a bruise. I'm okay. Rey, why does my arm say lunch?"

Rey sighed. "No, you're not okay. Tell me where it hurts."

"Everywhere," Ben groaned. "Here, I guess." He gestured to the back of his head.

"Yeah, you were hit here." Rey's fingertips gently brushed over Ben's bruised forehead. "That's not good."

Ben caught Rey's hand. "Your hands feel nice."

"We don't have time for this. Just let me fix your damn head and then we can get out of here."

"...Fine."

Rey tugged her hand out of Ben's grasp and pressed it against his forehead again. Her hands always felt soothing. He closed his eyes and leaned into it. The pain, the dizziness and disorientation began to drain away. It seemed to take longer than any other healing Ben had experienced. He didn't really mind. He had always enjoyed the feeling of a bit of Rey flowing into him, even despite all the guilt that came with it.

When Ben opened his eyes, his vision was thankfully clear. Rey hovered in front of him, her palm still on his forehead, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed in that look of concerned concentration he recognized now.

"I'm sorry," Ben said softly. He wasn't quite sure what for—for taking a bit of her life, for arguing, for being less careful than he should have.

Rey's eyes flicked down to his. Then she closed them and let out a breath he hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Shut up, Ben," she said flatly.

He pulled her against his chest and she relented, tucking her head under his chin, if only for a moment of calm before they would both have to act. It was then that Ben noticed the gash in Rey's forehead and the streaks of half-dried blood dragged away from it.

"Rey…you're hurt. What happened?" Ben's fingertip grazed the skin next to the wound.

"What? Oh, that. I just hit a branch in the woods. It's fine, really."

"It's not fine. Let me fix it," said Ben.

"No, we don't have time. You're the one who said we have to stop trading off."

"Please, Rey." _Please, let me give you back some of your life._

"Fine." Rey closed her eyes. "But if you really want to heal me, do my leg instead. For the sake of getting out of here quickly only."

The injury had been obscured, but as Ben brushed aside Rey's tunic to reveal it he had to cover his mouth with a hand to keep from alerting his captors. "Kriff, Rey." He pulled her leg over his before she could protest, covering the ragged, charred hole with his hand.

"Lucky blaster shot," Rey mumbled.

"I can't believe you made it this far." Ben's headache began to creep back as he patched Rey's flesh, but he gladly accepted it. Besides, as long as he could think straight, what was a little pain?

"We need to get you out of here," said Rey, pulling herself to her feet. Ben wasn't sure she should be standing just yet, but he followed her.

"You sound like you have a plan," he said.

"Not really. I deactivated the hyperdrive—well, I deactivated the controls to the hyperdrive—so that should buy us some time. As soon as they try the jump and nothing happens, one will go back to check on the engine. So we can take them when they're separated."

Ben shook his head. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be a mess," said Rey, smirking slightly. "Now lift me back into the ceiling so I can open this door."

* * *

After several minutes of fiddling with the electronics, the cell door slid open with the most satisfying hiss Rey had ever heard. She clambered out of the crawlspace and back onto Ben's shoulders—he had insisted she didn't jump, although she was sure her newly healed leg could take it. His hands lingered on her for a moment before setting her on the ground. He still seemed shaken—why wouldn't he? Rey sure as hell still _felt_ shaken. But there wasn't time for that, so Rey led Ben through the narrow hallway, back toward the engine, still gripping one of his hands, his real one. She wove her fingers between his anxiously, and he squeezed her hand. They ducked into an outlet from the main corridor. The engine's hum was a lot louder here.

"We'll have to ambush whichever one comes to check the hyperdrive," Rey hissed over the sound of the engine, "assuming they don't notice you're missing first."

Rey wasn't sure what she'd do when the man arrived, but she was the only one with a weapon and the bounty hunters weren't just going to change their minds and release the Jedi. She'd lost control in the meadow, she knew she had. She had seen Ben and then nothing else had mattered. She had been angry, so angry. She had wanted to free Ben, sure, but she'd also wanted more. She'd wanted revenge. And the memory of her saber cleaving the man in half, it burned. But she had also…enjoyed it. Her pain and fear had all been diverted in the moment. Rey wasn't sure what that meant. She didn't like it, but she would do what she had to to keep Ben safe.

_Rey. _Ben brushed a finger against her cheek. _Let me fight._

Rey leaned back against the wall. _You heard that? _

_Only the shape of it. But I know what it feels like, I do. _

_I can't just…just let you take up my fights for me. _Rey stared intently up at Ben, standing against the wall across from her.

_It's my fight too. Besides, you're tired. You've fought already. It makes more sense for me to do this. _

Rey held Ben's gaze for a moment. Her hand shook on the hilt of her lightsaber, but she passed it across the space between them. His fingers covered hers as he accepted the weapon, and he leaned in to kiss her, light and gentle and brief. To Rey, it felt like a promise.

It couldn't have come too soon, either, because heavy, metallic footsteps were echoing down the corridor. Rey instinctively shoved the man as soon as he came into sight. He flew back and clanged against the wall.

"Backup!" he shouted into an unseen comm. "I need some karking back—"

Ben ignited Rey's saber and ran him through in one swift motion.

The second bounty hunter was a little harder to dispatch. They met him somewhere in the middle of the ship, and he must have gotten the transmission, because he was armed. In the tight hallway, blaster bolts were hard to avoid, but Ben managed to deflect them all before Rey ripped the blaster out of the man's hands with the Force and began firing back on him. In the end, he was no match for the two of them either, even down a lightsaber.

They made their way back to the cockpit and Rey took over piloting the vessel, turning them around and punching in the coordinates for the Endor system before slumping low in her seat. "I guess it's time to move," she sighed.

"I guess it is," Ben agreed. "I—I liked the life we had on Endor. I had even started thinking…maybe someday, but…"

"But we should have been gone long before anyone figured out we were there," Rey finished.

"Yeah."

"We'll either have to keep on the move or go somewhere even more remote." Rey squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. She didn't like the options. Was a semi-stable home too much to ask? And a family, she'd always wanted a family. She'd finally found one, only for it to be ripped apart barely a year later. "We don't know who else knows we're on Endor, now."

"Exactly." Ben blinked, shaking his head as if tossing off some errant idea. Sweaty strands of hair fell into his eyes.

"You should choose the course," Rey said softly. She didn't like the idea of giving up her say any more than she had liked handing Ben her saber. "You've seen a lot more of this galaxy than I have."

Ben nodded, and they both sat quietly, Rey leaning back, her head tipped toward the sealing, and Ben slumped forward in his seat. His fingers ran lightly over his saber hilt. They had found it after making their way here, lying casually on the dash. He moved to return it to its rightful place at his belt, then found his way obscured by Rey's saber.

He pressed it into her hand, and she rolled her head to the side to look at him, not bothering to push herself up from the seat any farther.

"Thank you," said Ben. "It's a good weapon. And, thank you for coming for me. No one's ever really…"

"I know. When Finn and…when Finn showed up on Starkiller base…"

"I'd always wondered, were you and he ever an item?"

Rey wasn't sure what to make of Ben's question. It felt beyond irrelevant. Maybe that was the point. She wasn't sure she wanted to put voice to half the thoughts in her head right now, and Ben probably didn't either. Maybe after some rest and a great deal of distance. So she exhaled, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly in weary amusement. "No. He was—is my best friend. He was the first person who treated me like—like a person. But I'm much too female for his tastes."

"I suppose I should have guessed that," Ben said with a look that reflected Rey's tired humor. "I certainly can't complain."

Rey let her hand fall, silent and open, into the space between their seats. Ben took it in his, and she brushed her thumb over his knuckles. A streak of ink was still smudged across the inside on Ben's forearm. "You still don't remember this?" she asked, lifting his arm slightly.

"I have to admit I don't really have much in the way of memories of the last week at least," he said.

"A shame," said Rey. "It was a good week, mostly. I'll have to show you when we get back."

"Are you ever going to answer my question?" Ben teased.

Rey sighed. "I forget to eat. A lot. You do too. I taught myself to ignore hunger a long time ago, it's useless if there's nothing to eat. You just forget to do things if they aren't scheduled."

"I do." Ben nodded.

"You started writing reminders. I thought—I thought it was sweet."

"_Excellent_ job we're doing with that today."

"Well, if you hadn't gone and gotten yourself captured…" Rey tugged her hand free to push at Ben's shoulder. His face fell and he stared into the blinking lights of the control panel between damp sheets of hair once again, and Rey instantly regretted her words.

"Hey," she said, reaching out to tuck a strand behind his ear, "I'm just teasing. I don't blame you."

"It was my fault though. You should have let me go the first time."

"_Ben._"

"You were hurt."

"I was, and so were you, and I'm _tired_, Ben," said Rey. "Don't make me fight you now, because I will. Just promise me you'll stay with me."

"Alright." His words held the low, easy certainty that told her he hadn't thought it over, just agreed because she was the one to say it. He might question his choice later, but he wouldn't go back on it. Rey dropped her hand back into his and squeezed it as they fell into a spell of not-quite uneasy silence.

"I think I've found us somewhere," Ben said finally. "I'm not sure if you'll like it."

"Let's hear it," Rey sighed.

"Hoth. Echo Base."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So sorry this chapter took me so long to write! There was some drama in my personal life, among other things, and several other projects begging to be worked on. I don't want this to happen again. So, while I hate to do it, I'm going to have to take another break from this story so I can rebuild my chapter buffer and figure out how to time updates evenly. We're very roughly half of the way through the chapters I have outlined.

_I am not abandoning this story._

However, I am working on a few other projects right now, and I'd like to upload some one-shots or shorter stories while ATS is on break. If you're interested in those, make sure you've got me on your author alerts. And as always, please let me know what you think!


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